SEC PREVIEW ARKANSAS

Unknown factors into outlook for Razorbacks

Arkansas junior quarterback Austin Allen answers questions from members of the news media Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, during the team's annual Media Day activities in the Fred W. Smith Football Center on the university campus in Fayetteville.
Arkansas junior quarterback Austin Allen answers questions from members of the news media Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, during the team's annual Media Day activities in the Fred W. Smith Football Center on the university campus in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Bret Bielema was much more concerned on Sunday about practice No. 4 in training camp than he was about the season opener against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 3 or a big-picture look at whether Arkansas will be a contender in the SEC West in 2016.

"I feel good about where we're at," Bielema said. "When I say I know my team, that makes me feel better. But on the same account, we're in the SEC West."

Bielema points to his Razorbacks' progress in SEC games, from 0-8 in his first season, to 2-6 and then 5-3. Arkansas has swept Ole Miss and LSU the past two years in SEC West games, but the Razorbacks are winless against Alabama, Mississippi State and Texas A&M in Bielema's three seasons.

Analysts who study the Razorbacks' 2016 prospects come away with a couple of questions.

Can Arkansas roll its 2015 finishing run -- six victories in its last seven games, including a 2-0 mark in SEC road games and a Liberty Bowl rout of Kansas State -- into the 2016 season, Bielema's fourth at Arkansas.

Or will the Razorbacks mirror the team that stumbled to a 1-3 start, plagued by injuries and penalties, before a key road victory at Tennessee?

If the first scenario plays out, Arkansas could find itself in the middle of the SEC West race for the first time since 2011.

At SEC media days, Bielema talked about how close the Razorbacks were to contending in the division last year.

"I look at the three losses and realize we lost in overtime to A&M, lost a heartbreaker on a game-winning field goal against Mississippi State, and led Alabama at half and couldn't close it out," he said. "I realized we're getting really close to where we want to be."

To keep progressing, the Razorbacks will have to find replacements for quarterback Brandon Allen, running backs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, tight end Hunter Henry and offensive linemen Denver Kirkland, Mitch Smothers and Sebastian Tretola, who have all departed.

Analyst Phil Steele has calculated that Arkansas lost 64 percent of its offensive yardage production from last year, which is the second-highest total in the SEC behind Alabama's 67.5 percent. The Hogs' percentage of yards returning ranks No. 117 in the nation.

Senior receiver Keon Hatcher said the key to offsetting the offensive losses will depend on the outlook of projected starters like quarterback Austin Allen, linemen Colton Jackson and Hjalte Froholdt and the running back combination of Kody Walker, Rawleigh Williams III and others.

"If guys come in with the mind-set to be great, they can be great," said Hatcher, who caught 13 passes for 198 yards in two games before suffering a broken foot last year. "Austin can fill in for Brandon. Brandon was a great quarterback. Austin's a great quarterback, too. He has to believe in that, and we have to believe in that as a team.

"Our O-line is great. We have great coaches all around, getting us prepared. I feel like we can have a great year. We just have to stay the course and continue to grind."

Offensive coordinator Dan Enos said he would be more concerned if the Razorbacks didn't have returning players who were key contributors last year, such as receivers Drew Morgan, Jared Cornelius, Dominique Reed, Hatcher and tight end Jeremy Sprinkle.

"Then Kody and Rawleigh at different times played," he said. "I would feel differently if we lost all those yards and we didn't have any proven guys coming back. But I think we have a core group of guys who have played and been good."

Then Enos posed his own question: Who's going to be the next Drew Morgan, a guy who went from backup to catching 63 passes for 843 yards and 10 touchdowns and earning second-team preseason All-SEC honors.

"Who's going to be the guy who nobody's asking about right now or talking about and at the end of the year you say 'Oh my gosh?' " he asked. "Is that going to be Cody Hollister? Is that going to be Jordan Jones? is that going to be Devwah Whaley? I don't know. It might be another tight end. I'm not sure.

"I'm excited because I think we have very capable people and very athletic, explosive guys that just haven't had their chance to play yet. I'm excited about the group."

Defensively, the Razorbacks return the players who accounted for 86.8 percent of their tackles from a year ago, the top percentage in the SEC and the No. 2 return rate in the nation.

Defensive coordinator Robb Smith said he feels better about the defense now than in training camp last year.

"I do for a multitude of reasons," Smith said. "We're more experienced, but experience by itself isn't the most important thing. I feel like they know the system better and I feel really good about our position coaches."

Bielema said having both coordinators back for the first time in his Arkansas tenure should pay dividends.

"From Dan's and Robb's point of view, as a signal-caller, you feel so much better when you know your team," he said. "It's different than just knowing their name and what their jersey is, but knowing, 'Hey, I can do this with this kid. This guy can handle this assignment. I can match this player to this receiver and have success. I can match this guard to this defensive tackle and block this play and have success.'

"So I think the comfort those two guys have with the knowledge of what their players are is worth its weight in gold."

Linebacker Brooks Ellis said the care factor among the senior class is strong.

"Leaving a legacy of greatness and just showing the young guys how to work, how to do things right, making sure the program is left on the right foot is huge for our senior class," he said. "Coach B has done a great job of teaching us how to do that and what the right things to do are. We have a great senior class full of leaders that are teaching the younger players what to do."

Sports on 08/08/2016

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